Good onya Des. Refereeing standards are on a downward spiral. Also why isn't the 3rd referee allowed to make decisions a forward passes. When the video ef was introduced they were allowed to make those decisions but not any more, why? It doesn't take any longer

1. Passes cannot travel forward at all.
2. video ref can call on it using technology ie can draw a parralell line from one of the ones on the field to see if it travels forward. Any doubt ie ball still touching the line goes to the attackers.

The NRL has warned club coaches about tirades against match officials but will take no action for comments made after the weekend's games.
Manly's Des Hasler, Canterbury's Kevin Moore and South Sydney's John Lang were all critical of referees after their sides' losses during round two.
Hasler was the most vocal, telling reporters he would pay for a touch judge to have his eyes tested after his side's 24-20 loss.
"Rugby league gives coaches far more latitude than most sports to question decisions and we believe that is the right policy," NRL chief operating officer Graham Annesley said in a statement on Monday.
"Referees understand that they are accountable but they should not have to accept accusations of bias, nor should they be subjected to public ridicule or abuse.
"There were a couple of comments this weekend that were at the edge of what we would allow before imposing substantial fines.
"The rules remain clear: if the integrity of the referee is challenged, if demeaning or insulting comments are used then clubs can expect to be fined."
NRL referees boss Robert Finch conceded his officials made two errors costing Manly and Parramatta points in Sunday's match at Parramatta Stadium.
Finch said the referees erred in awarding Manly's first try and an obstruction penalty should have been awarded to the Eels.
He also admitted the final pass for centre Joel Reddy's crucial try for Parramatta was forward.
"I'm pretty disappointed with the team's performance yesterday afternoon," Finch told reporters on Monday.
"There were two incidents in this game which led to points - the first being the first try that Manly scored which was clearly a breach of the key indicators.
"An obstruction should have been awarded against the Manly side and a penalty to the Eels."
"And the (Joel Reddy) try that the Eels scored ... the last part was clearly forward."
Finch said a decision on whether touch judge Gavin Reynolds would be dropped for round three would be made on Tuesday.

Surely TV technology can handle this sort of thing. Â What about that line in swimming comps that stays with the swimmers. Â Forward passes should be looked at in the scoring movement, along with all the other crap that is. Â Weird that they're not.

No, the decoy runner ran straight through the defensive line, no player was in anyway obstructed.

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So in other words, Finch is just trying to justify the advantage that the Eels got with that blatant forward pass for Reddy's try by saying that Manly got an advantage too in the first half. Â What a load of crock ! ! !

No, the decoy runner ran straight through the defensive line, no player was in anyway obstructed.

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The thing though there was one the same in the warriors/sharks game which was pulled up with the decoy runner not impeding any players either. So I guess it's different interpretations by different refs which mean inconsistancy.

A video ref should be able to intervene with obviously forward passes. However just be aware there is a large grey area here as the rule has to do with the way the pass comes from the hands, not whether the ball travels forward. Try it yourself in the park - Run flat out, pass the ball on a flat line and it ends up landing ahead of where it was passed from. it is why someone who passes just at the tackle often looks like they have thrown forward.

The Parra ones were very obvious as they were passed forward from the hands.

The other thing to note is paralax error which often makes TV angles look different than reality, which is the real reason why the video ref cannot make the call. However, commond sense says that anything that can allow the right decision to be made should be utilised.

Most companies would be aghast if a quarter of its customers gave them a thumbs down (the three coached mentioned above plus Anderson agreed with Des).Â But our NRL and refereeing clowns just carry blithely on.

Harrigan was on talkin sport (aka talking bulldogs with grahme hughes) he has no idea.
He thinks a couple of bad calls in one game has imploded into a fan overration that the standard of refereeing is in crisis when its not in his not so humble opinion